


Visiting Relatives

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 22:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3706009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mycroft Holmes tells Anthea she should visit her aunt she knows there has to be a reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visiting Relatives

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Hearth-Fires](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1197246) by [Marta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta/pseuds/Marta). 



“I think you should visit your aunt,” Mycroft Holmes said.

“My aunt?” Anthea queried.

“Yes, your aunt, who lives in Westerham. You had intended to see her last month, but we were slightly overtaken by events.” The events surrounding Sherlock’s ‘death’, which were not to be referred to except obliquely. Anthea now privately thought of the whole situation as the Voldemort Case.

“Yes, sir.” There was no point in arguing.

“Phone her and tell her you’ll be coming tomorrow.”

“I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see me.”

“And while you’re in the area, could you deliver a small item to my mother?”

“Certainly, sir.” So that was why she was visiting her aunt.

Mycroft handed over a gift bag, the handles tied together with ribbon. Clearly the contents were not secret, but would reveal something to Mrs Holmes which she, as courier, would be unable to infer, presumably due to references to family history.

“And one final thing,” Mycroft added. “If my mother - who will insist on calling me Mikey, because she know it annoys me - asks the right question you may answer her truthfully, but minimally. You may also tell her my father needs to sort his pension out.” The heartfelt sigh Mycroft gave at this point made Anthea think this was an ongoing situation. “You may tell my mother I can be available to keep her company when my father comes to meet the SPVA agent.”

Anthea nodded.

***

The journey to Limpsfield had been uneventful. Mycroft’s directions had been precise and Anthea had drawn up outside the cottage one minute before the hour she was due to arrive.

Mrs Holmes had been much as she had expected. At first, when she had called her Altheia, Anthea had thought this might be a sign of aging. Mycroft had introduced her to his parents at the funeral and she would have understood if, given the circumstances, his mother had incorrectly remembered her name. However, she quickly realised this had been a test, and Mrs Holmes had chosen that particular name to watch her reaction, so saw no point in correcting her. It rapidly became apparent from whom the Holmes’ sons had inherited their shrewdness and perspicacity and Anthea had no doubts about confirming the mother’s understanding her younger son was still alive.

She left the Holmes’ home confident she had done what her boss had wanted and with the added knowledge, which he had failed to inform her about, of his mother’s love of musical entertainment. She was looking forward to telling him he would be taking his parents to see Fiddler on the Roof. And if she found herself in future unconsciously humming “If I were a rich man”, when he seemed particularly aggravated about the Voldemort Case, she could hardly be blamed.

Now, off to visit her aunt, who would quite possibly also call her Altheia, or Isabella, or some other version of one of her cousins’ names, but hopefully not, as on one memorable occasion, Jeremy.


End file.
